Handicrafts are devices or works of art that are made completely by hand or by the use of relatively simple tools. Such goods are usually made in the traditional way of manufacturing goods. Therefore, the knowledge of the art of craft is usually passed down from one generation to another. The items made using these traditional methods of manufacturing are usually produced in smaller quantities and they often represent the culture or religious beliefs of the community that makes them. The goods are also handmade from natural materials that are found in the environment of the particular economy.

A painting is equal to thousand words, means a beautiful painting is equal to million of words. Paintings are one of the oldest art forms -- throughout history artists have played an important role in documenting social movements, spiritual beliefs and general life and culture.

History Of Paintings: The history of painting reaches back in time to artifacts from...

On
Vishnu's chest is a beautiful curl of golden hair called Shreevatsa. It is the
symbol of Shree-Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and fortune, his consort.

When
the goddess rose from the ocean of milk, she found only Vishnu the detached
guardian of the cosmos, the upright keeper of dharma to be worthy of her
affection. She became his Shakti, source of his strength and splendor,
invigorating him with her presence. Vishnu became Shreenath, her lord.

Vishnu
is the soul of the universe; Lakshmi its substance. He is the protector; she
the provider. They are the divine couple who nurture life.

Lakshmi Leaves Vaikuntha

Whenever
Vishnu returned to Vaikuntha, tired after his battles with demons, Lakshmi
would invigorate him with her affectionate touch.

Once,
while Vishnu was resting, the sage Bhrigu entered Vaikuntha. Neither Vishnu nor
Lakshmi saw him arrive. Insulted, Bhrigu kicked Vishnu on his chest shouting,
"How can you sleep when someone is calling on you?"

Bhrigu's
insolence horrified Lakshmi. To her surprise, the lord placed his hand on
Bhrigu's foot and asked, "Did you hurt yourself by kicking me?"

The
sage was touched by the lord's concern. Lakshmi was not. "Bhrigu kicked
you on your chest, on Shreevatsa, and by doing so kicked me. Avenge this
insult." She demanded angrily.

"I
cannot harm one who is my guest," said the lord. Considering this an
affront to her dignity, Lakshmi disappeared from Vaikuntha.

The Separation

Without
Lakshmi beside him, Vishnu could not bear to live in Vaikuntha. He descended
upon earth and waited for her under a banyan tree, refusing to move until she
returned.

As
time passed termites built a hill round him, covering his body completely.

Birds
and beasts were stunned by the lord's plight. Cows rushed to the banyan tree
and began shedding milk over the termite hill to nourish the lord. Touched by
their devotion, Vishnu promised them eternal grace.

The Reunion

Bhrigu,
the cause of Lakshmi's ire and Vishnu's anguish, was consumed by guilt. He took
it upon himself to reunite the divine couple. He went near the termite hill and
began kicking the cows.

The
cows cried out and Vishnu rushed to their rescue, striking the offender with
his mace.

Hearing
this, Lakshmi was pleased and she reappeared to join her husband in Vaikuntha.

Lakshmi's Promise

Lakshmi
said to her lord, "Wherever you are in the three worlds, I shall always be
by your side."

"Should
anyone try to take you away from me, I shall fight and win you back," said
Vishnu.

When
Vishnu descended upon earth, Lakshmi joined him as Rama's Sita and as Krishna's
Radha and his Rukmini. And when the lord was Yagna-purusha, the god of
sacrifice, she was Dakshina, goddess of charity.

Shreedevi and Bhoodevi

Vishnu's
chief consort Shree-Lakshmi, goddess of power, fortune and splendor was fickle
and demanding. In contrast, Vishnu's other consort, Bhoodevi, the
earth-goddess, was faithful and submissive.

Both
vied for Vishnu's attention.

When
Indra gifted the parijata tree to Vishnu, both wanted it to be planted in their
respective gardens, separated by a very high wall.

Bhoodevi,
proud of her generative powers, argued that as she was the earth-goddess only
she had the right to nurture the plant.

Vishnu
gave her the celestial tree, but decreed that its flowers would always fall on
the other side of the wall into Shreedevi's garden.

Shreedevi
was delighted with her lord's decision. She taunted Bhoodevi, "The lord
has given you the responsibility of the plant, while making sure it is I who
derive real pleasure from it."

To
humble Shreedevi, Vishnu said, "This plant will only bloom when I enter
Bhoodevi's garden. Each time Shreedevi finds the parijata in bloom, she will
have to endure the knowledge that her husband is with someone else."

Saraswati, Ganga and Yamuna

Saraswati,
the goddess of knowledge, said, "Vishnu is Vidyapati, the patron of
science, philosophy and the arts. Time and again he has rescued my children,
the Vedas and the Shastras, from demons. Surely he cares for me more than
anyone else."

Ganga
and Yamuna, the river-goddesses, disagreed. "Vishnu is Jalashayin, the
keeper of the cosmic waters. He loves us most."

Lakshmi
said, "The whole world knows Vishnu as Madhava, consort of Ma, that is me,
the mother of the three worlds. He may be your guardian, but he loves none but
me."

The
goddesses began arguing when the lord appeared before them and said,
"Saraswati, the goddess of sound and speech, sits on the tip of my tongue.
Ganga flows out of my right foot, Yamuna out of my left. Lakshmi resides in my
heart."

Thus
did Vishnu make peace with all the goddesses.

Abduction of Lakshmi

The
demons once found Vishnu in deep meditation. "Let us carry Lakshmi away to
Patala. With her by our side we will be rich and powerful," they said.

But
when they brought Lakshmi to the nether-world, she began to weep and the asuras
began experiencing great sorrow.

"So
long as there are tears in the eyes of Lakshmi, there will be misery in
Patala," revealed Shukra, preceptor of the demons.

"Why
is she crying?" asked the asuras.

"You
have wrenched her away from her lord. She can give you all the material comfort
you want, but without Vishnu, she cannot give you any peace of mind."

Realising
their foolishness, the demons let Lakshmi return to Vaikuntha. As she went
away, they lost their wealth and power, but there was joy in their hearts.

Those
who seek both spiritual bliss and material delight, worship both the lord and
his consort, taking her name before his: 'Sita-Rama, Radhe-Shyam,
Lakshmi-Narayana'.

In the field of paintings , Rajasthan is a wonderland and unique. Diverse varieties of traditional Rajasthani paintings adorn the art galle...

Company Overview

Art of Legend India has the distinction of being one of the best in the Indian Handicraft Industry. We are about 75 years old handicrafts manufacturer & exporter. We are having team of more than 500 craftsman.

We are having our business offices in India, USA & Germany to ensure our best services.